White House ‘thinks Europe is undermining Ukraine peace efforts’

Senior White House officials believe that while some European leaders are smiling for the cameras in support of President Trump’s push to end the war in Ukraine, they are quietly working behind the scenes to unravel the very progress made at the Alaska summit.

The White House has already tasked the Treasury Department with drawing up a list of sanctions Europe could impose on Russia. The options include the complete shutdown of all oil and gas purchases, plus secondary tariffs on India and China—moves that mirror U.S. pressure already applied to India.

Two weeks after Trump’s high-stakes meeting with Vladimir Putin, peace is still out of reach. Inside the administration, aides are increasingly convinced the problem lies not with Trump—or even with Putin—but with European allies who continue to drag their feet. “The Europeans don’t get to prolong this war and backdoor unreasonable expectations, while also expecting America to bear the cost,” a top White House official told Axios. “If Europe wants to escalate this war, that will be up to them. But they will be hopelessly snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.”

Trump’s advisers argue that while the British and French have been more constructive, other major European powers are encouraging Kyiv to hold out for “better deals” that will never materialize. These maximalist demands have only prolonged the bloodshed and placed the burden squarely on American taxpayers and troops standing guard in Europe. As one senior aide bluntly put it, “Getting to a deal is an art of the possible. But some of the Europeans continue to operate in a fairy-tale land that ignores the fact it takes two to tango.”

The president himself has been candid about the state of play. After separate summits with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump repeatedly stressed the importance of bringing the two leaders face-to-face. Yet the Russians refuse to come to the table, and Zelensky has shut the door on any concessions unless Moscow engages directly. In a Cabinet meeting this week, Trump vented: “Everybody is posturing. It’s all bullshit.”

Meanwhile, Russia continues to pummel Kyiv with airstrikes, and Ukraine has responded by striking Russian oil refineries. Both sides are digging in, making peace harder to achieve with every passing week. As White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt explained, “Perhaps both sides of this war are not ready to end it themselves. The president wants it to end, but the leaders of these two countries need it to end and must want it to end as well.”

The frustration is mounting inside the administration. One senior official admitted Trump is weighing whether to pull back on diplomatic efforts until one or both parties show genuine flexibility. “We are going to sit back and watch. Let them fight it out for a while and see what happens,” the official said.

Some U.S. officials now see European leaders not as partners but as obstacles—leaders who are happy to rely on America’s resources while playing their own games behind closed doors. That perception only deepened after Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff met Zelensky’s chief of staff in New York. Although Yermak invited Witkoff to Kyiv and spoke about a possible Zelensky-Putin meeting, no significant progress was made.

A senior European official denied the U.S. charges, insisting that no double-dealing was taking place and claiming that new sanctions are already being prepared. Yet such reassurances ring hollow when Europe continues to hedge, posture, and delay.

For conservatives, the picture is clear: America should not be left holding the bag for a war Europeans are unwilling to resolve. Trump is pushing for common-sense diplomacy and a swift end to hostilities, while too many in Europe seem content to stall for time—at America’s expense. This isn’t just about Ukraine. It’s about sovereignty, accountability, and whether allies will finally step up instead of hiding behind Washington.